So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your fortune-tellers, or your sorcerers, who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse lists multiple types of false prophets, but the emphasis isn't just on their number, but on their shared message of defiance. It highlights how, across different nations, these deceivers all converged on a single, destructive lie: that rebellion against Babylon was a viable option.
So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your fortune-tellers, or your sorcerers, who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah is delivering a message to surrounding nations, urging them to submit to Babylon’s authority, not to resist. These nations are being misled by their own “experts” in divination, dream interpretation, and sorcery, who are falsely promising them victory and freedom from Babylonian rule. Jeremiah’s warning directly contradicts these deceptive pronouncements, emphasizing that any resistance will only bring worse destruction and a more bitter servitude.
Jeremiah lists a whole crowd of 'specialists' who are giving bad advice. Ever feel overwhelmed by conflicting voices telling you what to do?
Jeremiah is confronting a chorus of false prophets who are boldly proclaiming that Jerusalem and the surrounding nations will not fall to Babylon. The sheer variety of titles—prophets, diviners, dreamers, enchanters, sorcerers—shows how widespread and deeply ingrained this deceptive messaging was. These weren't just random guesses; these were people claiming special insight or divine connection, using various methods like interpreting dreams, casting lots, or other magical arts to bolster their false prophecies.
Why So Many Titles?
These false prophets promised peace and security. Sound familiar? Learn why believing what we want to hear can lead us astray.
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The fundamental problem with the messages from these false prophets was their content: 'You shall not serve the king of Babylon.' This was exactly what the people wanted to hear. They were hoping to escape judgment and maintain their independence. These counselors preyed on that desire, offering false hope instead of the hard truth God had revealed through Jeremiah.
Why This Message Was So Tempting:
Jeremiah’s task was to cut through this comforting lie with the sobering reality of God's word, even though it was painful to hear.
Understand the original words
nabi · Hebrew Noun
One who claims to speak on behalf of the divine; in a biblical sense, a true prophet is God's spokesperson, while false prophets speak out of their own heart or deceive the people.
qesem · Hebrew Noun
Practitioners of occult or forbidden methods—such as divination, sorcery, or seeking hidden knowledge—which are strictly condemned in Scripture as an attempt to bypass God's authority.
The verse highlights a critical moment where the people of Judah and surrounding nations were receiving conflicting messages: Jeremiah proclaimed submission to Babylon was God's will, while numerous 'prophets,' diviners, and dreamers offered false hope of continued independence. This spiritual and political battle was set against the backdrop of increasing Babylonian power and Judah's repeated rebellions.
c. 605 BC
Nebuchadnezzar's First Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and begins deporting skilled workers and nobility, including members of the royal family. This marks the beginning of Babylonian dominance over the region.
c. 601 BC
Egypt's Failed Invasion
Egypt attempts to invade Babylonian territory, but is repelled by Nebuchadnezzar's forces. This event likely emboldened some Judahite leaders and prophets to resist Babylon.
c. 598-597 BC
Second Deportation and Jehoiachin's Exile
After a brief rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports more of Jerusalem's elite, including King Jehoiachin, to Babylon. He installs Zedekiah as a puppet king.
c. 594 BC— this verse
Jeremiah's Yoke Proposal
Jeremiah, under divine instruction, crafts wooden yokes and sends them to surrounding nations and Judah. He declares that these nations, and Judah, must serve the king of Babylon, or face destruction.
c. 589-588 BC
Siege of Jerusalem Begins
Despite Jeremiah's warnings, Judah rebels against Babylon, aided by a promise of Egyptian support. Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
After a devastating siege, Babylonian forces breach Jerusalem's walls, destroy the Temple, and exile the remaining population, leaving only the poorest to tend the land.
This passage also warns against false prophets who claim to speak for God but are actually spreading deceitful dreams and messages, echoing Jeremiah's warning here against those who falsely predict freedom from Babylon.
1 Kings 22:5-8King Ahab of Israel was surrounded by 400 prophets who all spoke favorably of his plans, similar to how the people in Jeremiah's time were listening to numerous false prophets. This highlights the danger of seeking out or listening to prophets who tell you what you want to hear, rather than the truth.
Deuteronomy 18:9-12This passage explicitly prohibits the practices of divination, sorcery, and listening to dreamers or those who interpret omens, directly paralleling Jeremiah's condemnation of these false counselors and the deceptive messages they delivered.
Ezekiel 13:6-7Ezekiel also condemns prophets who claim divine vision and divination but are deceiving people with false hopes, stating that their 'visions are false and their divinations a lie.' This strongly reinforces Jeremiah's message about the unreliability and danger of such pronouncements.
2 Peter 2:1-3The Apostle Peter warns about false teachers who will secretly introduce destructive heresies and exploit people with false words, just as the false prophets in Jeremiah's time were misleading the people with deceptive messages that would lead to ruin.
barnesJeremiah 27:9: "Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:"
Dreamers - literally, as in the margin. People dream dreams for themselves, and go to diviners to ask the explanation of them.
calvinJeremiah 27:9: "Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:"
Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:
Et vos ne audiatis prophetas vestros, et divinos vestros, et somnia…
The verse lists multiple types of false prophets, but the emphasis isn't just on their number, but on their shared message of defiance. It highlights how, across different nations, these deceivers all converged on a single, destructive lie: that rebellion against Babylon was a viable option.
Jeremiah is delivering a message to surrounding nations, urging them to submit to Babylon’s authority, not to resist. These nations are being misled by their own “experts” in divination, dream interpretation, and sorcery, who are falsely promising them victory and freedom from Babylonian rule. Jeremiah’s warning directly contradicts these deceptive pronouncements, emphasizing that any resistance will only bring worse destruction and a more bitter servitude.
Jeremiah is delivering a message to surrounding nations, urging them to submit to Babylon’s authority, not to resist. These nations are being misled by their own “experts” in divination, dream interpretation, and sorcery, who are falsely promising them victory and freedom from Babylonian rule. Jeremiah’s warning directly contradicts these deceptive pronouncements, emphasizing that any resistance will only bring worse destruction and a more bitter servitude.
"So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your fortune-tellers, or your sorcerers, who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon.’" — The verse lists multiple types of false prophets, but the emphasis isn't just on their number, but on their shared message of defiance. It highlights how, across different nations, these deceivers…
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Last reviewed October 2026